The present invention relates generally to electronic systems for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a parental guidance and driver security system that utilizes sound and voice analysis to ascertain whether the vehicle operator is conforming to predefined behavioral rules.
Teenage drivers have high accident rates. Parents would like to be able to monitor the driving habits of their children, but this can be difficult because the parents are not always present when the children are driving. Attempts to address this problem in the past have centered primarily around receiving reports from other persons. For example, there is a service known as Safe Teen that uses a reporting system to monitor teenage drivers. The system works by placing a sticker in the back of the vehicle. The sticker has a phone number and a web page. It also has a number that identifies the vehicle. When other drivers observe the vehicle performing unsafe actions, the other drivers can report the actions to the Safe Teen service using either the published phone number or the web page. In this way, the parents can be informed if their children are using the vehicle in an unsafe manner and can take appropriate action.
In addition to teenage drivers, there are similar issues with trucking companies, delivery companies, and with drivers having a history of drunk driving. In all of these cases, it would be desirable to monitor the vehicle usage so that if the vehicle is being driven dangerously, corrective action can be taken before an accident occurs.